CompTIA A+ Certification exams usually change every three years to reflect changes in the industry, the new exams usually have new numbers, and once you achieve A+ Certification, you keep it for life.

Starting in January 2011, none of these will be true. CompTIA’s current 220-701 (A+ Essentials) and 220-702 (Practical Applications) exams will be replaced by new exams with the same exam numbers! What’s new? Windows 7 coverage. Windows 7 has been such a big success at both the retail and corporate levels (unlike the unloved Windows Vista) that CompTIA decided not to wait to roll out changes. But wait, there’s more!

Because the new 2011 CompTIA A+ Certification exams will be ANSI certified, CompTIA A+ Certifications will no longer be “for life” as with certifications earned in the past and up through December 31, 2010. Instead, the new A+ Certification CE (continuing education) will be good for three years. Fortunately, CompTIA has created a list of many activities A+ techs might already perform that are good for CE credits.

So, if you want a lifetime CompTIA A+ certification without worrying about CE credits or Windows 7, there’s still (barely) time to get yourself to a testing center. To get yourself up to speed, I’d suggest getting a copy of my book CompTIA A+ 220-701 and 220-702 Cert Guide and using its extensive print and DVD-based resouces to prepare yourself.